


Dark Waters

by Traumatas



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Curses, Inacurate description of Nymph lore, M/M, Nymph!Takumi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-05-26 12:17:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15000719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Traumatas/pseuds/Traumatas
Summary: All Leo wanted to do was to say goodbye.





	Dark Waters

**Author's Note:**

> Listen I wrote this while driving to a city nearby and I did 0 Nymph research, so don't judge this. 
> 
> Also I'm sorry.

Leo knew it was stupid.

 

Incredibly stupid even.

 

But his immense determination seemed to outweigh his immense stupidity. Never had the prince thought he'd find himself in a paddle boat of questionable stability in the middle of a huge and deep lake in the forests at night, but there he was.   
The shine of the full moon barely managed to light up his surroundings, the water looking jet black and every movement of trees in the wind could have fooled anyone, who wasn't the prince into thinking they weren't alone.

Leo on the other hand knew the woods, having spent hours, days and weeks in them to strengthen his magic abilities.

They couldn't fool him with their intimidating and mysterious aura. They were as close to a home to him as it got.

 

He was still thankful for the flame in his hand, that helped him lighten up the water beneath his boat as he tried to look for any movement under the glistening surface. He leaned over the side of the boat some more, eyebrows furrowed.

 

Leo was certain the nymph was here.    
He always was, as he was bound to the lake by a strong kind of magic that not even the prince could break.

 

"Takumi?", he called into the night, noting the echo of his voice that was sent back by the trees.    
The calling wasn't necessary of course, as was he certain the nymph knew he wasn’t alone the moment something entered his lake. Though it did strike him as odd that Takumi didn't greet him when he reached the middle of the lake like he usually did and a kind of worry settled itself in the prince's chest.

 

In the months he had known the cursed nymph, Leo had grown quite attached to his attitude and their silly arguments. So much so, that he had agreed to help Takumi to break his curse, making it possible for him to return back home to Hoshido.

 

When he had first encountered the nymph, he had been looking for herbs that grew close to the waters, as his sister Elise had requested him to get them for her the next time he visited the woods. Leo being the good brother he was, hadn’t objected of course and wandered to the biggest lake, that came to his mind.   
  


The second the nohrian Prince had set a foot into the dark waters, he had been pulled in deeper, under the surface, unable to escape the tight grip around his ankles.

 

He had been sure he would die in that very moment, having left Brynhildr further away from the water together with his boots and having no other way to defend himself, he was at the mercy at whatever had pulled him underneath. No moving or struggling could help him to free himself from whatever was dragging him under.

 

To his surprise, Takumi had decided to release for a reason to him unknown.

 

Up to this day, he still didn't know why he was spared. The nymph refusing to tell him why he had decided to let Leo escape from his grip.

 

After that day, Leo's curiosity had brought him back in search of finding the nymph again, besides the rational part of his brain telling him he shouldn't.     
To no surprise he had found the nymph at the same spot as the day before, swimming circles in the lake, his long hair parting beautifully in the waters.    
Takumi had called Leo foolish to return, and the prince had to agree. 

Yet there was no effort made to send him away or to hurt him again, so Leo had deemed it safe to approach and engage conversation.    
  
After the initial wariness and distance between them, they had managed to become quite close friends.

 

Besides being different beings from different kingdoms, they understood each other. 

More than Leo could have ever guessed. 

When Takumi had told him about his family, Leo had noticed just how similar their siblings were and how, even with a family that big, they both felt lonely and left alone in the shadows of everyone around them.

 

That was until they had met.

 

Takumi gave him a feeling of belonging, companionship and never before had Leo felt this connected to someone. 

They seemed to grow closer each minute they spent with one another and the prince cherished the moments in which he and Takumi sat at the shore of the lake, feet hanging in the water and hands closer than they should be for two men who were merely friends.

 

In those mostly silent and peaceful moments Takumi liked to remind Leo.

 

_ Don't visit me at night _

 

It had always seemed like a rather odd request to the prince, as he didn't understand why he shouldn't see him after the sun had set and the sky was covered in stars. From everything that he had read about nymphs, they weren't any different at night, only being dangerous if you harmed what they loved most.

 

But he had decided to respect his friends wishes.

 

Until this night that was.

 

Leo had never spoken about it, but Nohr was in the middle of war with Hoshido, their kingdoms both trying to win with equal eagerness. Till this very day Leo and his siblings had been able to avoid being sent to the front lines by their father, but their soldiers were having troubles withstanding the hoshidan forces. 

Sending his children, the most well trained mages and fighters of Nohr, into battle was Garons only chance of winning.

 

Yet Leo doubted they would.

 

He prided himself in his wit and intelligence, but even for the unschooled eye it was easy to see that they would most likely die, having not enough support or a structured enough plan to break through the opposing army. Their father was sending them right into their death and he couldn’t believe that he wasn’t aware.    
  
It was an act of desperation. Sending out his last forces as he refused to give up.

 

Therefore Leo had decided to ignore his friends wishes in favor of seeing him a last time, as he was going to ride into certain doom once the sun rose on this very day.

 

"Takumi!?", he tried again, this time louder, in case he hadn't heard him. 

 

This time something moved under water and a small smile made itself apparent on Leo's face. Without thinking he dipped his hand into the waters, like he did so many times before when Takumi had dived under to ignore him in a childish manner and like so many times before Takumi hand wrapped around his wrist.

 

Just stronger.

 

Before Leo could complain about the nymphs strength, he was yanked forward into the the waters and pulled down, his lungs filling with cold water that burned his throat. 

He tried to free himself from the iron grip, but sharp claws dug into his flesh and a strong pain shot  up his arm; his legs kicked uselessly as he struggled to get closer to the surface again, anxiety spiking up as the last bit of oxygen left his body.    
At this point he barely saw anything but the dark water around him, the reflection of the moon on the water had already faded as he was pulled further and further down to the bottom.   
  


The lake felt endlessly deep.

 

Leo tried to tell himself it was fine, that Takumi would pull him up again. Just like on the day they had met.

 

He surely would.

 

The pressure on the princes body grew, overwhelming him. His chest burned like it was on fire as his lungs tried for air, but were filled with more and more water. 

It was then that Leo's eyes found Takumi's glowing auburn ones, shrunk down to to tiny slits, seeming so unfamiliar and strange.

 

And just like this, Leo knew.

 

He wouldn't.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Kudos are appreciated even though you probably hate me now B)
> 
> Find me on Tumblr and Instagram under @Traumatas


End file.
